Romanian voters who live abroad can register starting today, January 20, to vote in this year's presidential elections, the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) announced.

Voters who live abroad can register on the website votstrainatate.ro. The website has sections for those who wish to vote at a polling station abroad and those who plan to vote by mail.

A list of needed documents and the deadlines for registration are available here.

Romania will hold presidential elections again this year after last year's elections were annulled. The Constitutional Court (CCR) annulled, on December 6, the results of the first round after declassified reports suggested foreign involvement aimed at undermining the integrity of the electoral process. The second round would have seen ultranationalist, pro-Russia Călin Georgescu, the surprise winner of the first round, face centrist Elena Lasconi, the candidate of the Save Romania Union (USR), also backed, at the time, by other pro-EU parties.

Now, the first round of the presidential elections is scheduled for May 4 and the second for May 18.

According to recently introduced rules, polling stations in the diaspora will close at 21:00 Romania time on the election day, regardless of the country where voting takes place. They will have three days to vote, but on the last voting day, Sunday, they will no longer be able to vote after the polls close in Romania. Instead, on Friday, the first day of voting, the polls will open at 7:00 local time, instead of 12 AM, as it happened in the previous elections. If voters are still queuing to vote, the voting program may be extended after 21:00 Romania time but no later than 24:00 Romania time. The change particularly impacts voting in countries such as the US or Canada.

(Photo: Px Media/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com